Tsuki no yami
by Mirialdo
Summary: undergoing revision same as Amber Ashes A mysterious stranger shows up and makes Murakisensei pay for past crimes and a secret he holds within his mind. Yaoi Implied, MuxTsu, WatxTat
1. Sensei

**_Tsuki no Yami_**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own YnM, I only own this plot and Maykai.. and I doubt if anyone else would want them..

**Warnings:** Death, Angst, Violence, Yaoi, Adult language, AU

**Pairings:** _Primary_- Muraki x Tsuzuki, _Secondary_- Watari x Tatsumi, Maykai+Hisoka, 

(Vaguely Implied Muraki x Oriya)

**I: Sensei**

Muraki glanced behind him as he turned the corner and glared at the shadowed figure that followed him. The damned stranger had followed him now from Tokyo, to Kyoto, where he was currently trying his hardest to shake the mysterious figure before arriving at his friend's house. He still didn't know how the man had beaten him here or even knew he had fled from Tokyo with this place as his destination. He returned his attention to the sidewalk in front of him, ducking into an ally and following it to the back of the house and then lifting himself over the small fence blocking the end of it. 

Landing on the other side, he looked back down the ally silently. He saw no one walking down it, so maybe he had slipped away finally. Turning around, he stopped half in anger and half in muted shock. The stranger was standing in front of him. _'How the ***hell*** did he ***do*** that?!'_ Muraki seethed silently glaring at the suited figure. The man stepped forwards, a small weak shaft of moonlight lighting up half of his face, which seemed to be covered by a dark jagged mask.

"Who are you?" Muraki hissed angrily at the man, one hand sliding into his trench coat to wrap around the hilt of the dagger that rested next to his chest inside. "Why have you been following me?"

The stranger laughed, a deep, dark sound that had the effect of raising the hairs on the back of Muraki's neck, making him take a step sideways and away from the figure. The man's dark gaze followed him and a malicious smile stretched the lips under the uneven edge of the mask. "You've escaped death three times, Muraki-sensei. However, this time you will not be so fortunate. You have knowledge which is very dangerous to me and others I have interest in, and it would be very bad should any other party's gain this information or other people use you to deliver the information to someone I do not wish to have it. So I decided to come myself, in order to snuff your light and make sure it stays out this time." 

Muraki's eyes narrowed dangerously at him as he drew out the wickedly curved knife from its sheath and slipped a little further from the figure. "I think not, in fact I suggest you leave now and never show your face near Kyoto again or I'll permanently remove it." 

The stranger smirked, and chuckled sardonically as he turned to follow Muraki's progress towards the street. "Gomen, but I can not. I've allowed you to live this long, despite your crimes. Now its time to pay, I might have let you off a while back ago, but after what you did a couple years ago, I'm afraid that's no longer possible." The deep voice held a hint of anger and reproach within it.

Muraki stepped back onto sidewalk and bowed slightly at the waist as he prepared to make his exit. "Life's full of mistakes and pain, you just have to learn to deal with it, but I'll leave you someone to play with." He straightened up, snapping two fingers on one hand as he moved back further onto the sidewalk. "Hydra, defend me." 

A golden light flared against the shadows the buildings threw over the sidewalk. Racing forwards until it had completed the design of a star within a circle. A powerful wind suddenly rose to whorl around the design as the tall three-headed dragon appeared, and roared in fury at the stranger before them, Rearing back, the three draconic heads opened their muzzles wide to attack the man. 

The masked figure seemed, if anything, amused and unconcerned about the attack about to come. He lifted a white gloved hand, making a faint gesture with a couple fingers, that seemed strange and reminded Muraki of someone snuffing out a candle flame. The Hydra swayed slightly, aborting its attack to roar again, this time in pain as it fell forwards against the ground and died fading away to leave both men alone on the cracked sidewalk. Muraki's good eye widened in shock and his hand shifted, tightening on the dagger's hilt as the stranger walked leisurely towards him. 

"How did you _do_ that?" he hissed, muscles tensing as he watched the other come closer. 

The masked man stopped a few feet away from Muraki and smiled condescendingly at him, one white gloved hand resting on his hip. "What? Kill your little pet monster? Child's play, I snuffed the life from it. Now it's your turn.." he said, the tone dark with malice as he closed the distance between him and Muraki. 

Muraki snarled once at him at the threat and leapt towards him, closing the minor distance between them. Slicing upwards with the knife, he aimed at the edge of the mask attempting to hook the curved point of the knife under it so he could rip it from his assailant's face and finally see it. The knife skidded across the jagged surface of the mask and caught in the lone eyehole that was revealed by the moonlight. The dagger's point embedded itself into the rim of the eyehole. 

Muraki tried to jerk it back towards him, but the blade wouldn't come free. He was about to release the knife to abandon it, when a gloved hand seized his wrist. Giving the masked stranger a glare that scorch steel, he jerked his arm towards him, attempting to free himself. 

The stranger laughed quietly as another white gloved hand rose to take a hold of the upper part of Muraki's arm, the fingers closing around the material of the coats easily to grasp the muscle underneath firmly. "Now it is time to pay your debts, Muraki-sensei." he said coldly as his hands tightened suddenly over both the arm and wrist twisting them viciously in opposite directions, breaking the wrist and the upper arm bone with a loud snap that echoed faintly from the stone surroundings. 

Muraki's breath hissed out painfully between clenched teeth as he stifled the outcry that had clawed its way into his throat at the pain that was now screaming up his arm. One hand released the broken arm, to wrap itself around his throat before he was able to comprehend that the other man had moved at all. Still in shock from the pain of the torn muscles and broken bones, he didn't move as the stranger's thumb began to press against his windpipe. 

As the pressure increased though, Muraki raised his free hand and grasped the wrist, digging his fingers into the tender underside of it trying to make the other man release him. The masked stranger acted as though he didn't even notice it and soon, Muraki's legs gave out from under him, dropping him down partly to his knees, only the gloved hand around his throat and his own hand around the other's wrist kept him off the ground. His vision began to fade slowly to gray at the edges from lack of air. 

A voice suddenly broke the silence that had stretched for the last several minutes. "Hmm.. perhaps I should make you suffer like you made some of your other victims suffer, ne? I believe that would be much more fitting, don't you?" The man's voice was callous, as he spoke, the gloved hand releasing Muraki's throat, while the other hand tightened harshly over the broken wrist, jerking it upwards and grinding the small bones together.

The pain that flared up the length of his arm along with the urgent need to regain his breath, blinded Muraki to the ebony clad knee heading for his chest until it was to late to attempt dodging  it. The knee rammed into Muraki's chest painfully, rocking him backwards roughly. What breath he had recovered hissed out of him in a agonizing rush between his teeth as he clenched them to stifle the cry that once more tried to claw its way out of his throat. It escaped in a piercing scream though, as the masked bastard brutally twisted the savaged arm and wrist once again.

Fighting the searing pain attempting to consume his senses, Muraki struggled to straighten up, gasping as more pain stabbed him in the chest. Raising his good hand slowly towards his chest,  he diagnosed it as several broken ribs digging into him. He felt arm dropped without warning and he turned his head to look up. The flash of weak moonlight on a silver curved blade greeted him coldly before everything went mercifully dark.

*

Awaking slowly, Muraki winced faintly as the pain from various aches made themselves known once again. Blinking once silently, he recognized the ceiling above him. He attempted to draw a breath to speak and felt something hot and thick rise in his throat to choke him. Coughing once, he felt whatever it was run through his lips and down over one cheek. 

A wet cloth touched his cheek then, wiping it away. Turning his head slowly, he tried again to speak, only to end up choking once more and coughing more of the liquid up to spill down one cheek. He smelled it then and shoved the knowledge right ruthlessly back out of his mind. Muraki would not allow the knowledge that he was choking on his own blood to frighten him. He had been wounded severely before, several times almost within touching distance of the point of no return and had survived, he _*would*_ survive this as well. Finally he was able to draw a small breath, without coughing and looked over at his friend. "Ori.." the word was interrupted by another cough though. 

Oriya turned to rinse the cloth he was using in a bowl beside him. The long dark hair was down over his face hiding it from view as he turned back to wipe Muraki's face with the damp cloth. "Don't speak, sensei. Save your strength and breath." Oriya murmured softly sitting on his knees, his expression hid underneath his hair. 

Muraki frowned faintly at Oriya and tried to move towards him only to lay back down and hiss softly as a sharp pain in his chest stabbed into him. After several minutes of lying there and recovering he lifted his good arm to grasp Oriya's hair and move it back over his friend's shoulder to reveal his face. The pale face was streaked with tearstains and the area around the amber eyes was swollen and red from the crying of those tears. 

"Oriya.." he paused to get another small breath and continued, his good hand holding onto Oriya's shoulder. "I've escaped death three times, this time will be no different. Do not cry for me. When I am recovered, both of us will hunt down the bastard who attacked me and we'll pay him back in kind." He released the shoulder and relaxed once more on the bed watching Oriya. "Do not worry about me.." 

Oriya closed his eyes and nodded. "Hai, Muraki-sensei." he said quietly, as he leaned down and lightly brushed a light kiss over Muraki's forehead. Standing up, he picked up the bowl that sat on the floor beside him and left the room.


	2. Sakura

**II: Sakura**

(Oriya's POV)

Oriya looked down into the snow white casket, sighing softly as he studied the face below him. The people who he had hired to prepare Muraki had done a very good job, Muraki looked like he would actually wake up at any moment and look at him. Of course, this time the death was final and absolute, no getting out of it was possible, even for one who had made a practice of it. He knew that now, despite staying by Muraki's side for three days hoping the last breath he had heard come from his best friend's lips was not the herald to his true death. But alas, it had been, rigor mortis had set in by the next morning and he knew then he had lost him. 

His hands clenched over the white wood of the casket in fury and sorrow. Three days it had taken Muraki to die. He had known though hadn't he? He had somehow known this was the very last time he would patch his friend up when he had found him laying a couple blocks from his place, lying in that unnatural position, blood pooled underneath him, dripping from both his lips, nose and other places that were too painful to gaze at for very long. He had patched him up as best as he had be able, but he had known inside despite the words his friend had spoken that Muraki would leave him, it was only a matter of when. Something inside, most likely one of the lungs or something under the broken ribs had been damaged beyond his ability to repair. 

Closing his eyes he shivered as the last day crossed his mind. He would definitely look for the man Muraki had described to him on the second day, he would fulfill his friend's vow. Maybe then he would be able to silence his friends last delusional cries as a brutal fever finally took Muraki down on the third and last morning. No one deserved to suffer like he had, despite his crimes. A drop of wetness hit the back of his clenched hand and Oriya opened his eyes to watch the tear slide off his hand and into the soft white silk lining of the casket. Releasing his grip on it, he lightly brushed his friend's hair from his face once last time before leaning down and softly kissing Muraki on the forehead. Straightening up, he turned to look at the man standing a couple feet behind him. 

"You're ready then sir?" the youth inquired quietly, gesturing towards the double doors on the other side of room that led outside to the graveyard. Oriya nodded silently and stepped back as the young man stepped forwards and shut the lid, fetching the bearers to carry the coffin outside so that it could be laid into the ground. He followed them outside slowly and glanced over the grounds. A few sakura tree's bloomed over in one corner of the gated grounds and they headed towards them, towards a hole that had been dug beneath one of them. Silently, Oriya watched as the casket was lowered, but he turned away when the dirt began to fall. He couldn't watch it end. _'This is the final goodbye, old friend..'_ he thought silently as he looked up into the trees.


	3. Partner

**III: Partner**

(Watari's POV)

Watari was walking down the hall towards his labs, when he heard his name hollered behind him. Turning around, he saw Maykai running towards him. Smiling, he greeted the light brown haired shinigami as he came to a stop in front of him catching his breath. "Hello, little one." he greeted, still smiling down at Maykai as the young man finally recovered from his run and straightened up. "You need me for something I take it?" 

Maykai nodded and smiled back faintly. "Hai, Watari-san. I was just informed to bring your new partner to meet you, but I think you should speak to him first before he comes inside."

Watari blinked in surprise. "_Partner?!_ When did this happen?" 

"Apparently, yesterday. Enma-Daioh-sama seemed to insist that he be paired with no one but you strangely enough. The only reasons given, were that Enma-Daioh-sama _wished_ him to be with someone who knew him and someone he trusted. I think there might be another reason, but I don't know for sure.." Maykai finished speaking with a slight shrug of his shoulders and a small frown.

Watari's smile faltered slightly and he glanced away from the young man to look down the hall for a moment silently. "Where is he now?" he asked quietly, glancing briefly back at Maykai. 

"Outside, in the sakura. I think he likes them, because he didn't want to follow me after we reached them and to tell the truth I didn't want to force the issue." Maykai gave a small shiver as he turned away to go. He sighed softly before speaking again, looking up at Watari. "Another thing you should know Watari-san.." he paused and hesitated. ".. he hasn't realized he's dead yet and he's set on having revenge on his killer." 

The young Shinigami left then, leaving Watari staring in silent shock at his back. After a moment, Watari snapped out of the light daze he was in, turning to walk down the now empty hallway to the outside of the building and the sakura trees that lined the path. As he walked through the trees, their white and faint pink blooms drifting down around him, he wondered how hard the person would take the news that they were now dead and a shinigami. Knowing his luck, not well. He sighed softly as he continued onwards looking through the trees for the person. He then heard a voice carrying mellifluously through the trees and followed it. 

"As soon as this _'person'_ they want me to help shows up, we'll see if what he needs my help for, and if its aligned with my own goal, then fine.. we'll work together and then I'll look for Oriya and we'll track down that bastard and kill him. Of course if whatever he wants doesn't line up.. then he'll just have to wait." 

Watari tilted his head slightly as he got closer to the voice and began to see an outline of a person pacing back and forth underneath the trees. As Watari gained ground, he could tell it was a man slightly older than he had been when he had died, the man had silvery white blonde hair that barely brushed the collar of the white trench coat. Watari slowed down as recognition slowly set in. Amber-gold eyes widened as he finally stood close enough to make out the pale white skin and slim hands gesturing absently as the man spoke to himself and paced. "_Muraki?!_" he gasped out weakly in surprise. 

The doctor immediately stopped in his tracks and looked towards Watari, visible silver eye widening slightly before narrowing faintly as he turned to face Watari. "_You're_ the one they want _me_ to help?" he asked, his tone faintly surprised and wary. 

Watari stared at Muraki for a moment in plain shock before shaking himself out of it. "Hai, we're apparently supposed to be partners now." he said and then hesitated before walking towards Muraki and continuing slowly. "Muraki-sensei, do you know _where_ we're at?"

One silver eye watched him from behind the glasses for a moment. "No, but I suppose you will tell me, correct? Not to mention just how close is it to Kyoto? I need to speak with my friend, Oriya, about something _I_ need to do before _'we'_ begin _anything_." 

Watari sighed and looked down before looking back at Muraki. "You're not in the living world any more, Muraki.." he said quietly and then hesitated as the eye narrowed further behind the glasses. "You're in Meifu," he winced slightly at the dark look that had suddenly entered the doctor's expression. "Gomen, Muraki-sensei.. but you're _dead_." 

That statement received an unexpected reaction and Watari sighed as Muraki jerked back from him, obviously startled. The doctor shook his head and then ran a pale hand through his silver blonde hair silently, giving Watari a look at both of his eyes. Watari had expected to see the false eye of Muraki's or no eye at all, but what was there was his natural eye, silver in color like the other only there was something wrong with it. As Muraki turned to look at Watari straight on with both eyes, he saw what it was. The right eye was blind. 

Then as his amber eyes locked with the frightened silver ones he was suddenly thrown into fire. It was everywhere around him, he could feel it burning his skin and he could feel the blistering heat of the flames. Watari screamed as it consumed him and then found himself back under the trees, his hands clenched in the petal covered green grass below him. 

Staring at his hands silently, he was surprised not to see them burned and blackened like he was sure they should have been, lowering his head slightly to rest against the ground, he felt his hair fell down around his face, assuring him that it was also still there. Watari then heard his name yelled and recognizing the voice he leapt to his feet, ignoring the tears beginning to build in his eyes and run down his cheeks he ran towards it calling out for the person it belonged to. 

_"TATSUMI!" _

Watari soon felt himself slam into the brown clad chest and clutched the suit jacket lapels tightly in his hands, as he buried his face in Tatsumi's chest. He felt a pair of arms hold him and he breathed in the scent of sandalwood that was in the jacket, trying to forget what he'd seen and quiet the shivers still running down his spine.


	4. Vision

**IV: Vision**

(Tatsumi's POV)

Tatsumi looked down at the blonde shinigami in his arms and frowned. He had heard the scream as he had been talking with Hisoka and while the younger man went to fetch Tsuzuki, he had run for the source, which seemed now to be Watari. Looking up, he was startled to see Muraki standing a couple feet away. Tatsumi's eyes narrowed sharply as he stared at the doctor. The fingers on one of his hands twitched involuntarily at the sight of him slowly walking closer, causing a shadow below one of the trees to jump slightly in response.

The silver eyes darted from the shadow that had just moved back to him and Tatsumi found himself lost inside the silver iris of the right eye, the pupil looked to be barely there, so narrowed down it was. Without warning, he was thrown into darkness as he felt something cover his face. He froze for a second before jerking his head back away from it. A blow of pain slammed into him, making him gasp sharply in pain and surprise. He tried to lift his arms to draw off whatever was covering his face, as well as defend himself and found his wrists bound behind him. Then the recognition of what was happening set in and his mind began to panic before he could stop it. 

_'Not again, please gods, not again..'_ a whisper of thought cried as he felt a sudden sting against his arms. Then the voices. Those derisive voices and the whip that cut into his arms and back. Then last after he was to weak to struggle, the rope came slipping over his head and tightening around his neck. Tatsumi shuddered within its confines and waited with dread for the last part to play itself out. The sickening feel of freefall came and the sudden agonizing wrenching sensation hit him. Tatsumi screamed as everything turned upside down with the cessation of the vision and the panic within his mind at having to go through his own death again. 


	5. Surprises

**V: Surprises**

(Various POV's)

Watari backed away from Tatsumi as his friend released him and collapsed to his knees. His amber eyes widened slightly when Tatsumi's battle aura flared to life and the shadows suddenly leapt from the trees to surround the shadow-master, swirling and weaving around Tatsumi's still form. Watari flinched as Tatsumi fell over onto his side, arms drawing close to the his chest, slim hands flexing open and close causing the darkness around Tatsumi to expand its circle then retract closer back to him. 

Watari turned as he heard Tsuzuki and Hisoka. Skirting around the shadows carefully as possible,  he made his way over to them. "Don't go near him.. I don't know _what _happened, but I don't think its safe for us to chance those shadows while he's like that, he might believe us foe instead of friend." he said quietly, watching the now seething shadows weave around Tatsumi.

Hisoka glanced at Watari and then shuddered suddenly. "He's in pain, a _*lot*_ of pain.. but its all in his mind. He's not hurt, but his mind is refusing to believe it." he said quietly, emerald green eyes watching the prone form within the shadows. 

Watari glanced at briefly at Hisoka before looking back at Tatsumi. "Can you do anything?" Watari asked faintly, his tone carrying a pleading note.

"I can't get through, he's blocking everything." Hisoka said and then shook his head. "Gomen, Watari-san, I can't reach him." 

Watari turned his head sharply towards Tsuzuki as he heard the violet eyed shinigami's outcry. Looking towards where Tsuzuki's gaze was, Watari watched as Muraki slowly approached the shadows. The doctor's own aura was flared out like a pair of large faint white wings around him. Muraki stopped just outside the wide limit of the flexing circle of shadows before crossing it, giving the shadows a target. A scream was wrenched from Tatsumi as the shadows flowed into one large stream. The ebony darkness streaked straight towards Muraki, who watched the shadows impassively.

The wings seemed to move as the shadows neared, closing themselves around Muraki, so that the shadows were forced to collide or pass through the misty wings. Those that passed through dissolved, while those that were deflected went back to their proper places beneath the trees.

Watari stared only for a moment in shock before rushing towards Tatsumi and cradling the other man against his chest. "Seiichirou-san.. wake up. Please..?" he whispered softly to Tatsumi, watching his friend's face as he held him close. Watari looked up again to see Hisoka standing in front of them. "Can you do anything to help him now?" he asked quietly, pleading  for the younger shinigami to help Tatsumi with his eyes..

"I don't know. I can try again." 

"Please."

With a soft sigh, Hisoka kneeled down beside Watari and took one of Tatsumi's limp hands in his own. He frowned faintly as he closed his eyes, features wincing faintly in pain. After a couple minutes, Hisoka opened his eyes and sighed as Tatsumi's hand tightened around his own for a brief moment before releasing it. Blue eyes opened slowly and looked at green for a moment, before moving upwards to lock with amber. 

"You had me so scared." Watari whispered to Tatsumi as he hugged him. "What happened?" 

Tatsumi sighed quietly, straightening up in front of them. Fixing his glasses, he collected his thoughts before he spoke. "I was made to re-experience my death. I lost control over my emotions when I realized that's what it was. Gomen, Watari-san." 

Hisoka looked away from Tatsumi and Watari realizing just _who_ the man standing off to the side was. "So _that's_ why it finally faded and left, forgive me if I can't say I'm unhappy about the fact your dead.. but why are _you_ here?" he asked as he stood up and turned to face the doctor. 

Muraki turned to look down at Hisoka silently, the aura around him slowly fading away. For once he was not contemptuous towards the younger man. "Because I was killed by someone, and I vowed to revenge what he did, Kurosaki-san. I believe _you_ would understand that, ne?" he said quietly, watching Hisoka through his good eye. Hisoka stared back at him hard for a moment before looking away from Muraki to the two on the ground. He glanced back once at Muraki wordlessly before turning sharply away to leave. 

Tsuzuki watched Hisoka leave, slightly confused as to what to do next. Silently debating his choices, Tsuzuki decided to let Hisoka go without him and walked over towards Muraki who had turned away from Watari and Tatsumi to walk towards the path lined by the trees.

Hesitantly he stepped up behind the doctor and spoke softly. "Would you.. um.. like to see the rest of Meifu, Muraki?"

Muraki's shoulders tensed slightly before relaxing and he looked behind him at Tsuzuki. "_You_ would actually _want_ to go somewhere with _me_?" he asked quietly. "Just us?" 

Tsuzuki hesitated briefly before nodding, he stepped around Muraki to stand in front of him. "I.. well.. you've _changed_ from the person I last saw two years ago.. and.. you just helped him didn't you?" he asked, eyes flickering over to Tatsumi and then back. 

Muraki turned a little to  glance back at the two shinigami's still sitting on the ground. "I merely opened the way for your partner to help him, if you wish to be truthful, I think I'm the reason he suffered the attack." he glanced back at Tsuzuki as he continued. "I don't know how it happened though, just that our eyes met and that it did." 

Tsuzuki glanced back towards Tatsumi and Watari for a moment, thinking silently. "Tatsumi-san said he re-experienced his death, but Hisoka-kun said that what Tatsumi was going through was all in his mind.. perhaps your magic has changed somehow with your death.." he said as he turned his gaze from the two shinigami under the sakura back to Muraki. 

Muraki studied Tsuzuki silently for a moment before nodding. "It is possible I suppose." he said quietly as he walked away from the sakura. "About that tour.." 

Tsuzuki stepped out to join him on the stone path and smiled faintly. "The offer's still open." 

"What about your friends..?" 

Tsuzuki glanced back to see Watari help Tatsumi to his feet and both men turn towards the office building. "They'll be busy with each other for awhile yet, and I think Hisoka-kun has most likely gone off to find Maykai-kun and talk about the books they've been reading. He tends to do that whenever he needs to calm down." Tsuzuki's smile brightened slightly. "And for _once_ I have no work to catch up on, so I'm free at the moment, or until Tatsumi recovers enough to find me something to do." 

"Ah, I see. Just _exactly_ what is it you do?" Muraki asked, turning to face the front of the large building, while continuing to watch Tsuzuki. 

Tsuzuki began to walk towards the building backwards, so that he was still facing Muraki. "I'll show you." he said, his tone carrying a small amount of amusement within it. With a small shake of his head at the way Tsuzuki was walking, Muraki followed him towards the large entrance of the office building.


	6. Hate

**VI: Hate**

(Hisoka POV)

Hisoka pushed open the door to the cafeteria, scanning the room silently. His eyes narrowed as he spotted Muraki sitting beside Tsuzuki who was eating a piece of pie. The white clad doctor was watching Tsuzuki silently, a small smile on his lips. Turning his gaze away from them, he looked for something else to keep him from going over there and telling Muraki just _what _he thought of him being here. His emerald eyes fell on the familiar and welcome form of his friend, Kien Maykai. 

Turning towards the table Maykai was sitting at, Hisoka walked over to it, sliding into the seat across from the other shinigami. Maykai was the next youngest shinigami in appearance here, after himself. Being 19, Maykai looked only slightly older than him, although Maykai was definitely more masculine than he was. Still, they both shared a few similarities in appearance, though Maykai's green eyes were a little darker than his own and carried small golden highlights. Hisoka gave his friend a faint smile as Maykai looked up from the book in front of him. 

Closing the book, Maykai turned his full attention to Hisoka and raised a light brown eyebrow. "Hello, Hisoka-san. Something wrong?" 

Hisoka sighed and rolled his eyes, while casting a dirty look over his shoulder at the two sitting a couple feet way. "Hai, you might say that." 

"Ah, I take it you're not to pleased with Watari-san's new partner. I'm slightly inclined to agree with you, he gives me the creeps." Maykai said with a slight shiver as he glanced over at the two briefly. 

"The nerve of _him_ trying to compare _his_ death to _mine_, he's lucky I didn't hit him." Hisoka growled as he turned back around to face his friend. 

"Oh? What happened outside, if I may ask?" 

"I don't know what exactly happened, but Tatsumi-san suffered some kind of a vision that I personally think Muraki was responsible for. Something is definitely going on.. I don't know what it is, but I'll just say one thing, if he so much as upsets Tsuzuki or anyone here, I'll show him that he _can_ still be hurt." 

Maykai nodded in understanding and glanced back over at the two silently. Hisoka followed his gaze and frowned. Muraki wasn't doing anything bad, only wiping off the excess of pie that had ended up on Tsuzuki's face instead of in his mouth, but Hisoka still didn't like the familiarity Muraki used with his partner.

_'He's  acting as if  he never did anything, like he expects us to forget everything. Fat chance, even if Tsuzuki has 'apparently' forgiven him, it would take a lot more than a few kind  comments to make me even consider it.'_ Hisoka thought heatedly as he watched them. Maykai lightly tapped Hisoka on his arm.

Glancing over at him silently, Hisoka raised a dark blonde eyebrow in query. "Your feelings are showing through, I thought you might like to know." Maykai said quietly. 

Hisoka sighed and then calmed down slowly, bringing his temper back under rein as he turned away from them. "Thank you, Maykai." 

"No problem, it's what friends are for, ne?"

Hisoka nodded and smiled faintly again at him. He decided to try and change the subject. He'd worry about Muraki later. Glancing down in front of him, Hisoka nudged the closed book in front of Maykai with one finger. "So what are you reading now?" Maykai grinned back at him, knowing exactly what Hisoka was doing, but went along with it opening up the book and beginning to tell him about the characters and the plot within. 


	7. Conversation

**VII: Conversation **

"I see you brought _*him*_ here, you think its finally time then?"

_"Time is relative, but in this matter my hand was forced."_

"Your hand was forced? How so?"

_"Someone else knew of the catalyst, and decided to remove him from the playing board. I was forced to act before I was ready, but no matter, in forcing my hand he has merely placed him closer within my reach."_

"So he's exactly where you want him now? How did _*he*_ of all people become such a key piece?"

_"Hai, Konoe-san. Let's just say the sensei found a certain file when he was working for one certain hospital that captured his attention. It was the information within it, that ended up causing him to become our catalyst. He has forgotten this information at the moment, but it shall surface shortly I think and then the spell shall be shattered."_

"And he'll remember, ne? What are you going to do with all that fury that's bound to return? Hopefully you do have a channel for it."

_"Do not worry Konoe-san, I think he'll be more involved in beginning the project that was halted in his life, than finding out who put him to **'sleep'** for over several decades. Of course, you know why I placed Tatsumi-san where I did now ne, Konoe-san?"_

"Hai, I recognized what your plan was when you did it. Of course I am glad you did, I've needed someone to help me for a while, and it did take his mind off his little obsession with finding out what had happened."

_"If I hadn't done either, the one who arranged Watari-san's death would of found a way for him to **'move on'** past this, with the same going for Tatsumi-san. Both were a danger to him at that time, I simply acted to negate that danger so he had no reason to act against them. Given time, all parties involved forgot about it."_

"Until now it seems, but why should he even think to remove the sensei from the living world, when there was the chance he could end up here? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of killing him so he wouldn't be able to be the catalyst? Now he's in more danger than he was a week before now, and your spell that is keeping things sane at the moment is about to fly apart."

_"I believe he acted rashly. If he had killed him quick and quietly, our catalyst might have slipped through my hands and been gone, like he hoped it would be. Instead, he stretched his death out over a period of three days and tortured him with it, most likely in repayment for what the sensei did in life to our other key piece."_

"Tsuzuki-san, ne?"

_"Hai, Asato-san. We will have to watch things closer now that the time is coming to **'wake'** Watari-san up. He will try to halt his work once more, of that I have no doubt. This time though, he shall not find it so easy, especially with the closeness that has come between Tatsumi-san and Watari-san. And he also has to go through the other three now as well."_

"Why is it so important for this project not to be completed that he would mettle with lives the way he has? And you said three.. isn't there four who would be in his way?" 

_"He has a number of interests in the living world, this project, if completed would make them a moot point. As for the number, I am afraid he has one ally that he knows not of, there is one who still hates our catalyst. I am sure you know who that is, and take measures to see he does not act against him."_

"I see, very well I shall try at any rate to keep things in order until the time comes. Any hints on what to expect when shit does hit the fan?"

_"Nice phrasing, but I can not foresee what effect the reversal of my spell will have on him. I believe though, Tatsumi-san shall realize what exactly happened that day though and be of great use."_

"Hmm.. you know you had him completely shaken when you did that. He was fired up about what he saw and then he turns around and sees the complete opposite of what he had just seen not several hours ago. He wasn't much use after that, until you took him off the active list and set him where he is now."

_"I know, it shook him up, I watched his shock as Watari-san joined us. And that the doctor clearly did not remember him, or his vow also upset him, I could see that much in his eyes before he left."_

"Hai, of course they ended up together anyway, after he had placed that incident out of his memory." 

_"He had other things to think of, and take care of. As do we now, I think it best for you to leave now and go check on them. Something is brewing besides our own plans and **'his'**. I do not know what effect it will have on them as it has not been fully fleshed out yet."_

"I understand. I think I might have a clue as to who, considering what's happened lately. Speak with you later then."

_"Hai. Later."_

(**A\N:** This is strictly just talking as you can see, but it's important to progress the story. It is begun by Konoe, as for the person he is speaking to.. that will remain a mystery for as long as I can keep it such.. but to give you a small hint that will most likely reveal the other's identity, it's his superior, who is done in Italics. If its confusing, don't worry it's sorta meant to be.. but just to clarify things the people they're talking about are: Muraki, Watari, Tatsumi, Tsuzuki , Hisoka, Tatsumi, in that order.. of course they also refer to the masked man that appeared at the beginning throughout this as well..)


End file.
